Nissan opts for a Brazilian

2012-10-23 11:53

The rich culture and exciting aura often associated with Brazil has been described as the inspiration for Nissan’s newest design concept, the Extrem, aimed at youthful car enthusiasts eager to make a statement on the roads.

According to the automaker, the Extrem has been designed for and will be built in Brazil. It will also make its world debut at the 27th Sao Paulo international motor show (October 24 – November 4, 2012)

'NATURAL BEAUTY'

Shiro Nakamura, senior vice-president and chief creative officer of Nissan, said: "Brazil is a country of great natural beauty and it has a passionate, rich culture but this is not always reflected in the cars on its streets.

"The Extrem, with a dynamic, high-character design, is far from conservative. It was created to appeal to the country's growing band of city-based young professionals who are passionate about design and want to make a personal statement."

Designed by Nissan Design America in San Diego, California, in collaboration with Brazilian designers, it blends versatility and toughness resulting in what they call a new genre of urban compact sports car.

Although strictly a concept car with no immediate plans for production, elements of it's styling offers a glimpse into future Nissan products, for Brazil and beyond.

Christian Meunier, president of Nissan Brazil said:"We have created the Extrem to show how serious we are about Brazil. It is provocative, energetic and engaging and it reflects the passion, innovation and excitement we put into all our cars.”

Robert Bauer, senior design manager for the project NDA, said: "We call it Baby Beast, we see it as an urban rally car, a tough little street fighter that can handle the urban jungle with agility and confidence."

EXTERIOR

The lower half of the body and raised ground clearance expresses strength, while the sharply sloping roof line suggests its sporting intention. The body's shape and surfaces exude a feeling of strength and agility with muscular fender volume defined by sharp creases, while overlapping panels and surface interplays create a feeling of layered armoured toughness.

The interior boasts Brazilian flair as well with attention to detail found throughout the car. Examples include flush mounted door handles, lightweight fender-mounted mirrors and the flush A- and B-pillars which create a seamless canopy.

Six-spoke, 19" alloy rims are double layered with a dark inner and brushed metal outer and provide enhanced cooling to the brakes.

The car's power would be provided by Nissan's advanced direct injection and turbocharged (DIG-T) 1.6 petrol engine which shares its technology concept with the powertrain in the Nissan DeltaWing Le Mans race car.

Nakamura said: "Extrem suggests that exotic and exciting design need not just be reserved for expensive cars. It shows that innovative, sophisticated design can be made in a clever, attainable way."